‘Communist lunatic’ Donald Trump calls him. A democratic socialist is how he describes himself. Zohran Mamdani is now the newly elected mayor of New York City – the youngest mayor since 1892, the city’s first Muslim mayor, and also its first mayor born in Africa. His campaign began small in October 2024, with little money, institutional party support, or attention. But just over a year later, Mamdani triumphed, defeating Curtis Sliwa, the republican nominee, and Andrew Cuomo, former governor of the state who was endorsed by Trump, by securing 50.4% of the votes. And after the success of such a bright, enthusiastic campaign, I am led to wonder, what power could lie in positive politics?
In a turbulent political landscape, such as the US, it is almost refreshing to see a campaign built upon relatability, empathy, and genuine connection do so well. With the motto ‘For a New York you can afford’ at its heart, and the message that the government will work to ‘make lives better’ at its core, Mamdani’s campaign transcended traditional party politics. It was about restoring trust, reminding people politics can be conversations between neighbours, not just a conversation amongst elites, and grounded politics in everyday struggles, spoken in a language the people of New York speak.
Whilst you can find Mamdani on various popular social media creator channels, from Gaydar, to Bodega Cats, or at the club singing ‘Empire State of Mind’, and even barrier at a Pink Panthress concert, you can also find him campaigning relentlessly in public. Recently, he walked the entirety of Manhattan, he rode the bus to debates, and knocked on three million doors. Why? Because in his words ‘New Yorkers deserve a mayor they can see and hear’.
His communication skills, both online and in person are incredible, but his policies (built upon the cost of living crisis and how the working people are forced out of the city they built) are key to his success. He is promising free buses throughout the city, free universal childcare, a 2% tax for New Yorkers earning over $1m annually and rent freezes for every rent stabilised tenant.
The path ahead will not be easy for Mamdani. Throughout campaigning, he faced bigotry and Islamophobia, and he will encounter intense scrutiny as he translates campaign promises into actionable policy. Furthermore, the President himself is openly threatening to take action on New York now that Mamdani is elected. However, this does not take away the success of his campaign, and the lessons we can learn from it – if anything it adds to it.
Is this what left wing politics has been missing? A young and charismatic representative that they can see themselves in. Someone who proudly addresses the economic issues, and the problems causing them, and promises reorienting American politics to the working class. In the biggest city of the United States, Mamdani’s message of visibility has proven not to be a slogan, as people are speaking of him from all corners of the globe, wishing for their own version of him in their own political contexts. And perhaps politicians can learn that positive, human centred politics can win, even in the most turbulent of times.